Hard Sun

The speaker describes a close relationship that repeatedly draws him back after he tries to leave or separate himself. He seems to recognize that his choices have hurt the other person, yet he also experiences her as a source of kindness and comfort. The movement is from dependence and escape toward regret, with no clear resolution.

The “ivory tower” suggests a proud, isolated position: he once kept himself above ordinary closeness, but climbing down allows him to be “set free.” The “hard sun” beating on people in a “big hard world” may represent the harsh pressures of life, felt by everyone. Later, the image of a garden and its sun suggests something living and carefully nurtured that he has neglected or damaged.

The woman’s actions can seem both gentle and difficult to read. She welcomes him and offers comfort, but her “bitter charm” and laughter may imply that she has pain or frustration of her own. The repeated return to her could express love, dependence, or both. The final rain, lasting “40 days and 40 nights,” intensifies the speaker’s sorrow, though it is unclear whether this is literal weather or a figure for grief and consequences that keep coming.